How lenders are reducing delinquency amid economic uncertainty

In the United States, a record 5.8 million student loan borrowers are over 90 days delinquent, with a significant wave of defaults looming in the coming months. TransUnion anticipates that 1.8 million borrowers will default in July, followed by an additional 1 million in August and 2 million in September.

This recent surge in student loan debt is part of a wider trend of economic distress, with rising inflation, growing uncertainty, and mortgage, auto loan, and credit card delinquencies reaching record highs. Together, these factors are leading to an increase in caseloads, heightened complexity, and a growing population of borrowers struggling to manage their repayment obligations nationwide.

In these difficult circumstances, it might seem like collections are facing an uphill battle with limited options. But effective strategies do exist. By helping borrowers reduce the burden of essential living expenses, collections teams are freeing up financial capacity for loan repayment and helping customers get back on track. Let’s look at how it all works.

Financial health resources lower the cost of essential expenses

Imagine your student loan payments have resumed, but the amount you owe each month is more than you’re reasonably able to afford. What do you do? How do you prioritize your expenses?

A recent survey from the National Bureau of Economic Research found that in tight financial situations, households overwhelmingly focus on the essential consumption that acts as the foundation for their economic survival and stability. That means food, rent, utilities, childcare, and other key expenses come first in the payment hierarchy.

It’s only through reducing the burden of these costs that consumers free up wallet share for other obligations. Put simply, lenders need to support customers in meeting their basic needs before expecting repayments on loans.

Consumers expect comprehensive financial care from their banks

Across the United States, countless state, federal, and local programs are available to provide meaningful assistance, lowering grocery bills, connecting tenants with discounted housing options, reducing monthly energy and water expenses, and much more. The challenge comes with connecting consumers to these resources in the first place.

Many people aren’t aware that these resources exist. Those that do may hesitate to open up to outsiders about their personal finances. It’s estimated that only 42% of Americans discuss their finances with friends or family at least once a month, and those numbers trend even lower among older generations. In times of financial distress, feelings of shame, discomfort, and embarrassment may be even more acute.

What collections teams need is a way to connect borrowers with helpful resources from a trusted source they already expect. That’s where SpringFour is making a difference. Understanding the pressures on representatives, this financial wellness solution integrates directly with collections systems to deliver instant access to verified resources during customer interactions.

So, when a borrower indicates they can’t make a payment, the representative simply navigates to the SpringFour interface, selects the relevant assistance categories, and sends the appropriate resources straight to the customer’s inbox—making support seamless, immediate, and actionable. Borrowers get the support they need, while collections teams keep workloads manageable and call times low.

A win-win-win for lenders, collections teams, and customers

SpringFour’s Resource Integrity Team carefully vets and curates a comprehensive network of over 25,000 reliable financial health resources across essential categories such as childcare support, utilities assistance, and food subsidies.

Partnering with major financial institutions throughout the US, they’re empowering representatives to confidently provide borrowers with tailored, trustworthy help. In Q2 2025 alone, they facilitated over 2 million referrals, directly connecting consumers with the support they need.

The impact is real and meaningful. Customers who receive SpringFour referrals are twice as likely to engage in foreclosure prevention and payment assistance programs, demonstrating a strong demand for—and genuine interest in—these vital resources.

As consumers use this support to reduce their financial burdens and get back on track, the benefits quickly ripple back to lenders. SpringFour users experience an average increase in payment rates of 2 to 10 times, translating into millions in projected annualized savings and a dramatic boost in the effectiveness of collections teams.

See how SpringFour drives better portfolio performance in their case study with BMO

Speaking of collections teams, working with SpringFour makes a measurable impact on their overall morale, too. 96% agree that they provide better customer service when they have access to the platform, and 91% say it saves them time when working with customers. The benefits are tangible, and they’re demonstrating a clear return on investment for everyone involved.

Supporting financial health builds long-term loyalty and trust

But the benefits of SpringFour’s financial health assistance go far beyond short-term relief. By supporting customers through difficult times, collections teams are seizing a key opportunity to build lasting trust and brand loyalty.

At first glance, this may seem counterintuitive. After all, the relationship between collections teams and borrowers has traditionally been viewed as negative, if not outright adversarial. But integrating financial health support transforms this dynamic into a collaborative process where both parties truly come out ahead.

Organizations partnering with SpringFour report a striking 7-percentage point increase in Net Promoter Scores, reflecting stronger customer satisfaction in their services. As competition rises in the form of customer-focused fintechs and digital banks, that advantage is more powerful than ever before.

Everyone wins with financial wellness

Today’s economic crisis isn’t the kind of challenge consumers can overcome on their own. Collections teams need a real, proven solution with comprehensive data analytics capabilities for informed decision-making and long-term process optimization. Strategic planning and deeper insights ease the financial burden and help customers get back on track with their additional obligations.

C&R Software’s Debt Manager solution seamlessly integrates with SpringFour, delivering over 25,000 trusted resources to collections professionals and borrowers. This partnership enhances debt collection processes by providing actionable analytics and support tools to improve the borrower’s quality of life, reduce financial stress, and nurture sustainable, positive relationships.

With C&R Software’s automated debt management solution, you’re equipped to:

• Leverage advanced analytics for actionable insights into your debt collection processes.
• Help your collections team make informed decisions and optimize strategies.
• Enhance communication and relationships with customers through user-centric design.
• Rapidly deploy and benefit SpringFour, with implementation possible in 30 days or less.

Ready to optimize your processes and empower your organization? Reach out to the team at inquiries@crsoftware.com to get started.